Publications
Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth by Peter Lau and Greg Goswell
Peter Lau & Greg Goswell, Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth (New Studies in Biblical Theology), IVP Academic, 2016.
The Old Testament book of Ruth is understandably a firm favourite in the church for small-group study and preaching: a heart-warming story of loyalty and love, a satisfying tale of a journey from famine to fullness. In the academy, the book has been a testing ground for a variety of hermeneutical approaches, and many different ways of interpreting it have been put forward. However, the single interpretative lens missing is the one that is most beneficial for the church: biblical theology. While commentaries have adopted a biblical-theological approach of one form or another, there has not been a detailed treatment of the themes in Ruth from that perspective. Lau and Goswell’s valuable New Studies in Biblical Theology volume aims to fill this gap. First, they focus on the meaning of the text as intended by the author for the original readers, but are mindful that the book is set within the wider context of Scripture. This context means not only the books surrounding Ruth in the canon, or even a particular section of Scripture, but also the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Second, they discuss selected themes in Ruth, including redemption, kingship, mission, kindness, wisdom, famine, and the hiddenness of God.
About the authors:
Gregory Goswell is Academic Dean and Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Christ College, Sydney (ACT affiliated). He is the author of Ezra-Nehemiah (EP Commentary Series).
Peter Lau is lecturer in Old Testament Studies at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia and an honorary research associate at the University of Sydney. He is the author of Identity and Ethics in the Book of Ruth (BZAW) and co-editor of Reading Ruth in Asia (IVBS).